New Year's Money Saving Resolutions...?

EMminently

Thought it'd be good to share ideas for how we plan to save money in the New Year...? Does anyone have New Year's Money Saving Resolutions...? One of mine is to make sarnies for work instead of buying out. Another is to stock Coca-Cola from Macro rather than the sandwich man at 60p a can! Nothing exciting but should make a huge difference. Was also thinking about planning birthday gifts in January so i'm prepared throughout the year. And we're going to take in students over summer next year to earn some extra cash. What are your ideas...? Look forward to hearing them! And copying them!:T

Jammygal

I'm going to try saving 50p and 1 coins in a sealed jar !
Stop kids buying so many sweets/ treats in local shop!
Try growing more veg in garden!

cocktailsavings

I've already started mine about 2 weeks ago .. me and my partner decided to save every £2 coin we receive! In our first week we had £20 and the following (Christmas week have got about £10) so in 2 weeks save approx £30 without harldy noticing it at all. We are going on holiday in the middle of January so will use the money we have saved then and then we shall start again at the beginning of February and have vowed not to dip into it until at least Christmas 2009. I am so pleased to have started this. I hope this can help someone else!

s23xy_c

I had a phone call last night to work behind the bar in a local night club. Any other time I would have said no, but last night I decided to just go do it. Now Im also working New Years Eve and hopefully get a few shifts every month now. Im going to put the money away for my OH's 30th Feb 2010.

Im also off my full time job until 5th Jan, so going to clean outmy house an list loads of stuff on ebay and maybe do a car boot sale as well.

Im sure I will think of other things to do to earn a bit extra money this year.

Claire
x

mary43

I intend to have another 'recycled' christmas where everyones pressies are what I've gleaned from the charity shops stuff I've sort of 'created'
OH does the lottery every week so I'm going to put £2 in a pot to match what he spends
De-clutter the house - again ! -doubt there's anything worth selling so will end up giving it away so no saving there -except for space !
Re-use whatever household bits I can to create pressies -might need help with ideas for that from you all
Grow more veg in pots

Can't think of anything else at the minute

Mrs_Thrify

Hiya, with Christmas past and the new year almost upon us it is going to be a new msn saving year....
I have oready noticed folk giving pressants in bags, sealed @ the top and saving thoose recieved to use again next Christmas. I am also going with the idea of cutting down cards to recycle as gift tags.
Kindness = have swapped gifts (thoose unwanted one's recieved)
I always take sandwiches and a flask to work.
In 2008 I started baking again, many people have recieved gifts of my cakes and it brings pleasure to give and recieve.
I use stardrops for general cleaning and mopping the floor as it is much cheeper than other brands.
I often shop on line using Quidco and voucher codes.
Look on kelko and pricerunner, shopping .com.
I use clothes airer's to dry washing and cut down the cost of the tumble dryer.
I buy new clothes in the sales.
I have a PAYG phone.

Best wishes...Julie

wit40iwtwan

Ello all!

I have a lovely canteen/restuarant at work but its all starting to add up so I too am starting to take a packed lunch to work and I am sure I will save loads as my partner buys the food for home whereas I used to easily blow £15 a week at work!

I am also going to sell excess and no longer used items on e-bay or e-list and perhaps even use the carboot sale option!

I have enough clothes for myself so for the moment it is the odd work item that I need to replace but mainly clothing for the boys! I work in retail so often do very well in staff sales of samples - also found quite a few other sample sales on-line and attend those if I need stuff. I love a bargain so I am a keen sales shopper - even my son's know how to shop for a bargain now!

I have bought a red Good Housekeeping everyday diary a few weeks back which comes into use from tomorrow (budget side) and I plan to write every penny I spend (outside of monthly commitments) down and hope to have a few no spending days too!

I started a budget last Christmas and it paid off - this year Christmas was 80% paid by the savings, have now decided to up the budget as we still spent money at Christmas which should have been in the budget. The Euro is affecting us a bit as we have a timeshare maintenance that gets paid every December in Euro's - this year it was quite a difference but that too has been upped in the budget - it is much easier to put away a bit extra over 12 months then to find it all in one!

Saving money is a must this year coming - we get married in 2010 and I have my 40th in November, my eldest turns 18 in August and my youngest turns 16! WOW I am feeling a bit old!

My only extravagance is to continue my Open University studies - they are expensive but I am half way through my degree - something I have always wanted to do... and I hope when I complete it that it will coincide with buying a house so could afford me a cheaper graduate loan or higher level of lending - still hope to have saved 10 - 15% of the purchase price but it is not easy... wedding (£5K), big birthdays, studies, deposit and before I know it my youngest will want to be going to Uni! ;-)

So - saving hat is firmly on!

Good luck to everyone!

Mrs_Thrify

I have just thought of something very money saving and funny.
Last year we had a new puppy at the start of winter and it was leave the door open or the mut pee'd on the floor :eek: Hence it was very cold!
This year he has a new trick.... it is one woof to go out and one woof when he is ready to come in again...the code works very well as I can hear him even when I am upstairs. The mut sometimes thinks it is daft as even when I can see him at the door, I do not move untill I hear a grumbling woof as I do not want him to loose the habbit.

System

not really money saving but my new years resolution is to be more time efficient ! ive just done my 1st online shop at asda and its worked out a lot cheaper .

EMminently

Great ideas everyone! Another of mine is to go for a long walk on the weekends to enjoy the coast and the moors, rather than hitting the shops!
I might even try to develop my photography skills and see if i can sell some of the photos and give them as gifts.
We're also going to entertain more at home, rather than paying the prices of the local pubs/ wine bars. It's generally more fun and relaxed anyway.

wendywitch

My ideas are similar to everyone elses. I need to make more money - my dog has had to spend alot of time with the vet over the last 18 months and as I have no insurance or money so my mum has been paying for it all with her credit card I really need to start paying her back.
I WILL list on ebay (I'll make time for it), I WILL sell at boot fairs (which I truly hate), I WILL save where every I can and I'll make time for more home cooking .

I've re-joined some of the challenges on here to help me